This week we'll be looking at one of our final theories, Long's Interaction Hypothesis. Think of it as a sort of marriage between Krashen, Swain, and Vygotsky. Creepy.
1. Please read this short overview, SLLT_Long's Interaction Hypothesis.
2. Next, read about a very common classroom technique related to interaction -- the corrective recast.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm not the DL for this week...however...I am the Highlighter for Group A - so here are some words for y'all to use while you're reading!
(FYI...I have actually 'highlighted' the first word before...but clearly I haven't acquired it...because I had to look it up again...)
*Syntactic - concerning syntax. If you look at something from a syntactic perspective, you look at its syntax and how it has been formed.
*Empirical - Something is empirical if it has been guided by research or experience.
*Taxonomy - This refers to the grouping of information into categories.
*Canonical word order - Word order that follows a general / basic pattern. For English speakers this would most likely be the SVO pattern.
*Efficacy - the ability or capacity to produce a result (an effect). Something that has a high degree of efficacy is likely to produce a desired result.
*Salience - If something is salient - it is noticeable, striking, or important. The salience of a statement may refer to how well it proves a point - or how effectively it supports a point.
*Dyadic - Something that is dyadic is composed of, or possesses two parts.
*Modulate - When you modulate something, you regulate or adjust it - often you may 'tone it down' according to some or other criteria.
Hi everyone. I've been a little behind in this class so I apologize for not answering and discussing. I am the discussion leader for my group so here are my questions:
ReplyDelete1. What’s the problem with Long’s Interaction Hypothesis and what does it need?
2. What are some benefits of using corrective recast for the learner?
3. What are the four forms of recast? Please write in your own words what they are about.
4. Discussion Question: Which recasting strategy(s) would you use in your classroom? Please explain.
Here are my answers to Jasper’s questions (Group A):
Delete1. The “problem” with Long’s Interaction Hypothesis is that his Step 2 and 3 stating that interactional modifications are linked to language acquisition have not yet been unanimously supported by empirical studies. Therefore, further research is warranted in this regard before it could be concluded that there is a clear link between interactional modifications and increased language acquisition.
2. Authors have highlighted that corrective recasts are in fact a natural part of meaning-orientated communicative exchanges. Furthermore, corrective recasts serve as an implicit way to offer feedback to students/learners and hence do not tend to interrupt the natural flow of communicative exchanges. Corrective recasts also help to facilitate learning. Being directly relevant to the utterance produced by the students/learners, they tend to grab interest immediately. Last benefit pointed out was that as corrective recasts tend to immediately follow students’/learners’ utterances, they are likely to instantly bring to their attention the fact that there was an error in what was uttered.
3. Four forms of recast identified in the reading are:
1. Isolated Declarative Recast: is in the form of a statement and does not expand on the meaning of the student’s/learner’s utterance
2. Isolated Interrogative Recast: is in the form of a question and does not expand on the meaning of the student’s/learner’s utterance
3. Incorporated Declarative Recast: is in the form of a statement and expands on the meaning of the student’s/learner’s utterance
4. Incorporated Interrogative Recast: is in the form of a question and expands on the meaning of the student’s/learner’s utterance
Discussion Question:
Out of the five strategies highlighted, I would use strategy two, which states that focus of recasts should be narrower and the length shorter so that they would more likely be noticed by the students. Furthermore, I would like to try my best to prompt students to allow them to self-negotiate and repair own errors before providing a recast. Authors have cited a study by Lyster and Ranta, which showed that through self-repairs, students are more likely to access TL knowledge they possess. Lastly, I wish to work on the timing of my corrective recasts to help to make them more noticeable. Authors encourage us, teachers, to look for what they refer to as the “teachable moments,” to increase the chances that our corrective recasts would be noticed by the students.
Hi Jasper!
DeleteHope you're enjoying the long weekend!! Thanks for the questions. Here are my answers!
1. The problem with Long’s Interaction Hypothesis is that, thus far, not concrete, significant link between interaction and acquisition has been found. Although research has been conducted on a number of occasions, researchers have obtained mixed results. While there has been evidence to suggest that interaction aids comprehension – post-tests of acquisition were not as solid.
Considering the failure of researchers to support all 3 of Longs Steps – further research is needed to investigate whether there is a really a link between modified interaction and acquisition.
2. Corrective recasts are used in most classrooms to highlight and address errors or mistakes made by learners in the course of their discourse. Corrective recasts don’t generally interrupt the ‘flow’ of classroom discourse too severely, and in this way learners are introduced to the correct form of an utterance and can move on (although retention of the correct form may not be happening.) Having said this, the fact that the recast happens just after the incorrect utterance may help to increase learners potential to notice the correct form. Another point to consider is that the corrective recast is a direct result of the learner’s own speech – and in that sense, the learner may find the recast more valuable (in an Output Hypothesis Testing sense.)
3. Lyster has identified four different kinds of recasts:
The Isolated Declarative Recast acts like a direct correction of an incorrect utterance. It seeks to highlight the correct form of the utterance to the learner – and is most likely followed by a learner repeating it.
The Isolated Interrogative Recast is positioned a more of a question to an incorrect utterance. Using the correct form as a question, the recast seems less threatening, and learners may again follow with a confirmation of the correct form.
The Incorporated Declarative Recast highlights the correct form of the utterance, and continues to provide similar examples/synonyms of the correct utterance. They don’t appear to invite much further participation – but rather appear to give one the idea of a ‘final stamp’ on the conversation.
The Incorporated Interrogative Recast is again, formed as a correction of the utterance, but posed as a question with some further opinion or input by the teacher. This recast seems to open up the conversation by the teacher showing interest in the topic.
Discussion Question
I think the idea of ‘keeping a narrow focus’ makes a lot of sense, and I can see the value in making sure my utterances are not too long or ‘convoluted.’ Having said that – I know that this is one area I would struggle with! I also see a lot of value in helping to give students space and time (and the tools) to negotiate their own recasts (self recasts.) Encouraging self-recasts seems likely to promote retention of correct forms, and I’m sure goes a long way for keeping learners motivated in their progress.
Hi Jasper... I too hope that you are enjoying your long weekend and are able to catch up on some things. Here are my answers.
Delete1. What’s the problem with Long’s Interaction Hypothesis and what does it need?
The problem with Long’s Interaction Hypothesis is that it has mostly been researched in the Western education system. So, there is no solid evidence backing it when addressing second language acquisition, and the studies done to support the hypothesis couldn’t find any positive correlating evidence between them. Also, that the early research of this theory was too lopsided: that the researchers didn’t take into consideration the affect of linguistic theory, since they were preoccupied with the functional aspects of the second language interaction. With well-balanced studies and positive correlative findings, it would give the Interaction Hypothesis a strong argument against its critics.
2. What are some benefits of using corrective recast for the learner?
It may make the learner aware that their utterance was incorrect, prompt the learner to make a focused comparison of relevant forms between the recast and their utterance, and if gaps were the accurately spotted by the learner, it could lead to a change of the learner’s interlanguage and the learner forming an accurate meaning of the utterance.
3. What are the four forms of recast?
• Isolated declarative recast
This recast doesn’t beat around the bush. It lets the learner know exactly what needs to be changed about their utterance in the form of a statement.
• Isolated interrogative recast
This is the same as isolated declarative, but is a little nicer since it is put into the form of a question.
• Incorporated declarative recast
This recast definitely beats around the bush. It lets the learner know what needs to be changed about their utterance, but does it with a lot of extra teacher talk. Kind of like a nagging girlfriend. This is done in the form of a statement.
• Incorporative interrogative recast
This is the same as incorporated declarative but is more but does it in the form of a question.
Discussion
Which recasting strategy(s) would you use in your classroom?
In John Teacher’s classroom, I would use ‘promoting self-negotiation’ and ‘seeking out teachable moments.’ Promoting self-negotiation is a good skill that learners need to acquire. It is extremely beneficial for the learner’s communicative competence development. I feel that seeking out a teachable moment is the teacher’s trump card to any approach. Capitalizing on these moments helps the learner co-construct meaning of the appropriate utterance. Subsequently making the utterance easier for recall since the connection to it has been strengthened.
Sorry, I am late again. I always finish these but then never post them in time.
DeleteLooking at Long’ s Interaction Hypothesis I feel that it’s a lot like Vygosky’s scaffolding: that there is a co-construction of the meaning with an individual of a higher proficiency level. By the teacher using repetition, confirmation checks, comprehension checks or clarification requests during classroom discourse, it will help facilitate the students LA. However, this could be extremely difficult for teachers with a large number of students. A way around this would be to do pair or group work. This will allow the students to construct meaning and comprehension of the task together. Letting the higher proficiency learners help the lower. This proficiency can change from topic to topic. That depending on the TL topic, it can change who is the higher-level student.
Corrective recast can be a very beneficial if done properly. Teachers usually recast as a way of moving the classroom discourse along, denying the students any proper time to process the interaction and what had happened. The author broke corrective recast into five strategies to make sure that the recast is effective: cultivating metalinguistic sensitivity, keeping a narrow focus, negotiating recasts, promoting self-negotiation, and seeking out teachable moments. Out of these five, I feel that the most real-life applicable strategy for recast is seeking out teachable moments. Knowing when the appropriate time to intervene and correct the student is crucial to the students understanding of the recasts. If the teacher waits and lets the student try to correctly say the utterance, instead of instantly correcting the student: this lets the student go as far as their L2 can take them, leading to a version of i+1, where the teacher can then intervene and help the student.
I'm applier
DeleteThis week, I am the Summarizer for Group A.
ReplyDeleteThe first reading presents us with an overview of Long’s Interaction Hypothesis. Long argues that negotiations and conversational repairs (repetitions, clarification requests, confirmation and comprehension checks) through interactional nature of conversations lead to increased comprehension and SLA.
Studies which followed confirmed the first part of Long’s assertions that “interactional modifications” did in fact enable the input to be more comprehensible, of “i +1” nature as suggested by Krashen.
Several other studies looked at whether such interaction was linked to SLA as claimed further by Long. One of these studies was done by Gass and Varonis (1994). They showed that interactional modifications (negotiating meaning with native speakers) increased comprehension of non-native speakers. Furthermore, they showed that these non-native speakers had significantly improved at giving directions in the Trial 2 of the study. However, it was concluded that this was evidence of non-native speakers internalizing communicative strategies and not of acquisition. A study by Mackey (1999), on the other hand, was able to provide proof for Long’s claim concluding that interactional modifications increased second language development. Further research is warranted to provide more proof to support or dispute Long’s claim that interaction increases SLA.
The second reading talks about how corrective recasts, although frequently used by teachers, are not as effective as they should be as they are often “missed” by the learners. The reading further suggests the following five strategies to help to make corrective recasts more noticeable and, hence, more effective:
1. Teachers should enable learners to develop “metalinguistic sensitivity” so that they would be more likely to see recasts as providing corrective information.
2. Focus of recasts should be narrower and the length shorter so that they would more likely be noticed.
3. Recasts should involve negotiation.
4. Learners should be prompted to self-negotiate and repair own errors before providing a recast.
5. Timing of the corrective recasts is important in helping to make them more noticeable. Teachers are encouraged to look for the “teachable moments.”
Discussion Leader, Group C.
ReplyDelete1.) According to the article on Long, What are the four conversational tactics used by native speakers in their interactions with non-native speakers, and why do they use them?
2.) How does interaction relate to acquisition and comprehension?
3.) What is the purpose of a corrective recast?
Discussion:
-What do you think of Long's Interactive Hypothesis? Has there been a situation in your own teaching (or life) where you could see it's application (In whole, or in parts)? If it applies, also talk about corrective recasts and how that may have factored into your interactions with non-native speakers.
Hello! Thanks for the questions! ^^
Delete1.) The four conversational tactics used were repetitions, confirmation checks, comprehension check and clarification requests. They used these tactics to solve communication problems.
2.) Interaction in this article allowed for the speakers to adjust their language to i+1 so it was meaningful and comprehensible to the non native speaker. Interaction also allows the learner to hear and understand more complex instructions and be able to pick out the important key words. BUT! As noted in the article the students were given pre and post tests that showed no clear link increasing comprehension and acquisition with Long's interaction. (Two out of three researchers couldn't find a clear link. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY!! As we always say...)
3.) As I could understand in the article, recasts are mostly used for two purposes. The first is for grammar correction (and more deeply, meta-linguistic awareness) and secondly for understanding meaning.
I am group C's summarizer.
In Long's interaction Hypothesis, they studied the ways in which natives and non-natives speak (as opposed to native-native speech). He found that natives-non-natives increased the use of 4 key conversational tactics in their conversations: repetitions, confirmation checks, comprehension checks and clarification requests. It was noted that these tactics weren't done with grammar in mind as the focus, but as a way to solve communication problems. It was found that using these four tactics increased comprehension (Students were better able to complete the task given with these tactics), but wasn't clearly linked to an increase in acquisition. (as noted before though, further research is needed because two out of three of the researchers found no clear link and one found some improvement)
In the corrective recasts article, there are 5 main theories suggested for how to use corrective recasts:
1. Cultivating Metalinguistic Sensitivity
- Recasts should be noticeable for corrective feedback
2. Keeping a narrow focus
- Recasts should focus on a small amount of corrections to be noticed by the student.
3. Negotiating recasts
-Students should be active in choosing what is the correct with the tactics of negotiation that Long suggests.
4. Promoting self-negotiation
-Students should be active in thinking about how to repair their own sentences (its very similar to number 3)
5. Seeking out teachable moments
- the recast has to be meaningful to the student when it is made (pertain to what they are saying)
I forgot to answer your discussion question and it won't let us edit!!
DeleteI have found that I use the conversation tactics he mentions with non-native speakers. This is, as he said, not to do with correcting them, but more to do with solving the communication problems I have. I also do think that part of understanding and learning a language is to be involved with it, as shown with the students who were more easily able to finish the activity with comprehension checks and clarification requests.
I think this is also one of the most meaningful things we can teach our students, because it will be the most useful and the most used part of their language learning. (To encourage them to ask questions and get clarification.)
For recasts, I usually don't do them unless the meaning is not clear. When I am normally chatting with a non-native speaker, I find it to be really rude to correct any grammar that is not necessary. I understand that they want me to correct them more often, but as a person (not as a teacher) I feel like I should be correcting in a polite and appropriate way that will encourage them to speak and not have them worry about the mistakes they might make.
Highlighter
DeleteI thought I would highlight the various recast types:
1. corrective recast- used to treat errors in learners' utterances
2. communicative recast- used to maintain the flow of communication or scaffold the ongoing conversation
3.isolated declarative recast- in the form of a statement without expansion of the learner's utterance
4.isolated interrogative recast- in the form of a question without expansion of the learner's utterance
5. incorporated declarative recast- in the form of a statement with expansion of the learner's utterance
6. incorporated interrogative recast- in the form of a question with expansion of the learner's utterance
7. example 7 was unnamed, where the recast left out a part of the learner's utterance, so they could notice the gap and adjust their inter-language.
8. the simple corrective recast- advances only one change in the learner's utterance
9. the complex recast- contains several changes to the utterance
10. partial recast- singles out and recasts the error, without repeating the rest of the learner's utterance.
1. The four tactics are repetition, confirmation checks, comprehension checks, clarification requests. They are used to solve ongoing communication difficulties.
Delete2. Interaction improves comprehension. NS-NNS pairs negotiate their way through trouble spots, fine tune their language in order to maximize comprehension. More research is required to test if it increases acquisition.
3. corrective recasts are used to treat errors in learner's utterances.
discussion
Long's interaction hypothesis makes a lot of sense, and seems to be common sense, really. To say "maybe interaction is good for acquisition" is like saying "maybe motivation is required to learn a language". I feel like it points out the obvious. But I suppose more so, it codifies that which seems intuitive.
I think we all use repetitions, confirmation checks, comprehension checks and clarification requests every day in Korea inside and outside of the classroom.
Sometimes I can't "turn off" the teacher, in interactive with non-native speakers who aren't my students, I sometimes use communicative recasts, but I am more conscious of using corrective recasts as not to embarrass them.
Group B Questions
ReplyDeleteHello Jeff and Laura :)
Sorry for my late posting.
Question 1: What key point did Long's research (1980s) find in regards to native speaker-non-native speaker pairs and their communication (talk)?
Question 2: What was the key finding of the Pica study (interaction and comprehension)?
Question 3: Why are simple partial recasts more effective than other forms of recasts?
Question 4: Of the four forms of corrective recasts (isolated declarative recast; isolated interrogative recast; incorporated declarative recast; and incorporated interrogative recast) which is the one that you most commonly use in your classroom and why? In addition, is there one type of recast you would like to use more often in your classes and why?
I'm a bit unhappy to get these questions so late. I hope you're okay, Kevan.
Delete1. The key point Long's research found was that although there was not much linguistic difference in talk produced by native speaker and non-native speaker pairs, they were inclined to change their conversational tactics. They used more CI's. :D
2. The key finding of the Pica study was that there was a more repetition of content words but not simpler grammar. Their interaction actually had more complex sentences in the input. Finally, the study showed that learners permitted to ask questions of an unmodified script did better.
3. Simple partial recasts are more effective than other forms of recasts because they are more easily noticed by the learner. When the recast is very narrow or short, they can remember it more easily.
4. I probably use the isolated interrogative recast the most. I believe that pointing out the mistake and allowing the students to correct the error is more effective than just repeating it correctly. I'm not sure I would like to use a different one more often because the reading was pretty negative about the incorporated recasts. They are useful for moving the dialogue along but apparently they don't work.
I'm the Applier this week. Hope these words are helpful.
Delete1. adduce - putting forth reasons or evidence for something
2. salience - being easily seen or coming into attention
3. efficacy - able to create the desired effect
4. empirical research - research that comes from experimenting and observing rather than just theories.
5. loci - a fancy-pants word for location
6. morphosyntax - the study of grammatical or linguistic words or units that have both morphology and syntactic qualities.
7. dyad - two items of the same kind